ATM company takes Bank of Ireland to court

6 Jul 2004

A UK-based technology firm is taking a High Court action against Bank of Ireland (BoI) and its technology partner NCR, claiming the bank had reneged on a €15m contract to install and operate 500 automated teller machines (ATMs) in off-site locations.

A spokesperson for the bank acknowledged to siliconrepublic.com that a case has been listed for the High Court for a claim against BoI and NCR, a technology services company that was project managing the ATM project.

British firm Hanco is alleging that BoI made a commitment to grant the contract in July 2002. However, it is understood that seven months later the contract was awarded to US firm Wincor Nixdorf.

The contract was the centrepiece of BoI’s plan to double its ATM network in Ireland to more than 1,000 machines.

The plan involved installing ATMs re-branded as ‘365 Cash’ in 250 shops run by the Musgrave-Supervalu-Centra group of companies. However, although Hanco was involved in the trial stage for the ATMs, it did not install them in any of the planned locations.

The BoI spokesperson said the bank had no comment to make at this time.